An airdrop underwater robot using a folding wing mechanism

Abstract

The present invention discloses an airdrop-type underwater robot using a folding wing mechanism, comprising a cavity and folding wings connected to the cavity, and further comprising: a torsion mechanism installed on the cavity, which is transmission-mounted with the folding wings and provides a driving force for the folding wings to unfold; a limiting mechanism detachably fixed to the cavity and having a trigger function, which, when not triggered, is used to limit the folding wings to a folded state; a trigger mechanism slidably arranged on the cavity, which, when subjected to an external force, can trigger the limiting mechanism to release the folding wings. The present invention uses a purely mechanical structure to achieve wing expansion and parachute release when entering the water. The overall structure is simple, the cost is low, and it has better reliability and stability. It also has the advantages of controllable wing expansion time and the ability to change the two wings from a cross-folded state to a flat expanded state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of underwater equipment design, and in particular relates to an airdrop-type underwater robot using a folding wing mechanism. Background Art

[0002] Underwater exploration has significant application value in the economic, military, cultural, and scientific fields. As mobile exploration platforms, underwater vehicles play an indispensable role in underwater exploration. Due to the influence of water resistance and the insulating effect of water, underwater vehicles consume a lot of energy and are even more difficult to replenish. Therefore, research on propeller-free, low-energy underwater robots such as Argo floats, underwater gliders, and profilers has become increasingly important. The advantage of underwater gliders and profilers over Argo floats is that they can adjust their center of gravity during buoyancy and glide using their wings while changing their posture, while Argo floats can only drift with the current. This advantage, however, limits the airdrop deployment of winged underwater robots such as underwater gliders and profilers.

[0003] Patent document CN108909994B discloses an airdrop-type underwater glider with a motor-driven wing extension mechanism. The glider's wing extension mechanism includes an L-shaped glider, a worm gear, and a wing extension control motor to drive the worm gear. Before the glider is airdropped into the water, the wings are folded longitudinally and fixed to the sides of the glider. When the glider enters the water, the impact force triggers a pressure sensor to switch the motor. The wing extension control motor then rotates the worm gear, which in turn rotates the worm gear, causing the glider to unfold. The wing extension control motor is powered on for a predetermined time. When the glider unfolds to a fixed angle, the motor is de-energized. The self-locking effect of the worm gear and worm gear locks the glider, allowing the underwater glider to begin normal navigation. The folding wing mechanism uses a motor to realize the extension operation of the "L"-shaped glider. The disadvantages are: first, it is necessary to judge the timing of the glider's wingspan, and the pressure is measured by a pressure sensor to trigger the motor to start, which may cause false triggering due to drift in the data collected by the pressure sensor; second, it is necessary to consider the waterproof problem of the motor and the waterproof problem of the wiring between the sealed cavity and the motor, which increases the complexity of the overall structure and reduces the reliability of the body, such as increasing the probability of body seal failure; third, the extending wing is "L"-shaped and its projection area exceeds the area of ​​the cavity when folded, making it impossible to use a general airdrop barrel for batch deployment. Its airdrop device needs to be specially designed, which reduces its versatility.

[0004] Patent document CN114852314A discloses an airdrop-type underwater glider with reduced impact loads on its folding wings. The wing system includes fixed wings and rotating wings, which are mounted above the fuselage via a connecting block. The rotating wings are restrained by a lashing structure and are in a tightened state. After the underwater glider is airdropped into the water, the lashing structure weakens, and under the action of a reset structure, the rotating wings break the lashing structure and become extended. After the rotating wings are extended, they are secured by a locking mechanism. The folding wing mechanism uses a strapping structure to maintain the folded state, and the wings can only be unfolded after being in the water for a period of time. The disadvantages are: first, its rotation reset mechanism will still be affected by the impact of part of the airdrop into the water if it is not reset and locked, which makes the mechanism at risk of damage; second, the wings rely on the strapping structure to be weakened when it comes into contact with water, and the practice of the reset structure pulling off the strapping mechanism is unreliable. There is a risk that the degree of weakening of the strapping structure is not enough to pull it off by the reset mechanism; third, the wing system is fixed to the top of the fuselage body by a connecting plate, and there is also a situation where the projection area is larger than the cavity area, making it impossible to use airdrop barrels for batch deployment, and the versatility is poor.

[0005] The folding wings disclosed in patent documents with publication numbers CN110481737B and CN110510089A both rely on a diamond-shaped telescopic mechanism connected by several intersecting ribs to achieve telescopic movement. A flexible skin that expands and contracts with the mechanism is affixed to the telescopic mechanism, allowing the wings to be extended or retracted. Using electrical drive components such as electromagnets or motors also presents challenges such as watertight sealing and determining when to trigger the wings to expand. The multi-link diamond-shaped telescopic mechanism is complex, and slight machining deviations can lead to discontinuous movement or jamming during operation. The flexible skin can also deform due to water flow, increasing the difficulty of motion control. The folding wings disclosed in patent document CN112158318B are secured with water-soluble thread to prevent them from popping open. Upon entry into water, the thread gradually dissolves, allowing the diamond-shaped wing skeleton to expand under the force of torsion springs, and the silicone membrane wing surface to unfold. This solution involves certain risks in using water-soluble wire for triggering, and the silicone film may be slightly deformed by the impact of water flow.

[0006] To sum up, the main problems of existing products are:

[0007] (1) The unfolding methods of the folding wings used by most underwater robots have some limitations. The use of electrical components such as electromagnets and motors to drive the wings needs to consider the waterproof problem itself, as well as the sealing problem of the wiring between the driving components and the sealed cavity. This will lead to an increase in overall cost and structural complexity, and also reduce the reliability of the body, such as increasing the probability of seal failure. The use of bundling structures such as water-soluble wires will have different dissolution times due to different manufacturing processes, making the wing unfolding time uncertain.

[0008] (2) Most airdrop underwater robots do not have a device that can directly carry a parachute and take off the parachute, and need to use external objects to parachute and take off the parachute.

[0009] (3) Some folding wings have the problem that the two wings are not in the same plane after unfolding. As a result, when the robot moves in the water, the hydrodynamic forces during movement are different due to the different surfaces of the two wings, which increases the difficulty of robot motion control.

[0010] (4) Some folding wings used in underwater robots are mounted outside the projection surface of the cavity, making it impossible to maintain the cylindrical shape of the robot and making it impossible to use standard airdrop barrels for large-scale deployment. A special airdrop device is required, which has poor versatility.

[0011] (5) The structure is complex, the cost is high, and the processing technology is demanding. Summary of the Invention

[0012] The present invention aims to propose a folding wing mechanism for an airdrop-type underwater robot. The mechanism is purely driven by physical mechanics, maintains a cross-folded state during airdrop deployment, and can be limited to the size of a standard airdrop barrel. After entering the water, the wings are automatically unfolded and the parachute is removed. After unfolding, the two wings remain in a flat state and will not shake due to the influence of water flow during operation. When the underwater robot completes the operation, the folded state can be manually restored.

[0013] The purpose of the present invention is to address the deficiencies of the above-mentioned prior art. The proposed solution enables the underwater robot to be completely within the projection surface of the cavity when in a folded state and can be airdropped in large quantities using a standard airdrop bucket. During the airdrop landing process, the underwater robot relies on a parachute to maintain a stable speed when entering the water. When entering the water, the wings are spread by the impact of the airdrop into the water. After the wings are spread, the device originally used to fix the wings falls off together with the parachute, and the wings are spread by a torsion mechanism. After the torsion mechanism works, the cross-folded side wings are changed into a flat unfolded state. After unfolding, the two wings are in the same plane, which effectively avoids the uncertainty of the robot's posture movement in the water caused by the height difference between the two wings. The above series of processes are implemented using a purely mechanical physical structure, which is simple in structure, low in cost, and reliable in operation.

[0014] An airdrop underwater robot using a folding wing mechanism includes a cavity and folding wings connected to the cavity, and further includes:

[0015] A torsion mechanism installed on the cavity is transmission-mounted with the folding wings to provide a driving force for unfolding the folding wings;

[0016] A limit mechanism detachably fixed to the cavity and having a trigger function, which is used to limit the folding wings to a folded state when not triggered;

[0017] The trigger mechanism slidably arranged on the cavity can trigger the limiting mechanism to release the folding wings when subjected to an external force.

[0018] In the present invention, the trigger mechanism is used to utilize the impact when the robot is dropped into water from the air to destroy (trigger) the limiting mechanism to open the wings; the limiting mechanism is used to limit the rotation of the torsion mechanism before entering the water to prevent the folding wings from accidentally opening; the torsion mechanism is used to change the folding wings (upper folding wings and lower folding wings) from a cross-folded state to a flat unfolded state after entering the water.

[0019] Preferably, the cavity is provided with a mounting recess near the upper end cap. A bridge plate integrally formed with the cavity is positioned corresponding to the mounting recess. The torsion mechanism, folding wings, and stopper mechanism are all disposed within the mounting recess. The mounting recess provides installation space for the torsion mechanism, folding wings, and stopper mechanism, while also providing some protection. More importantly, it significantly reduces the overall size of the underwater robot. The torsion mechanism can be pivotally connected to the bridge plate.

[0020] As an advantage, the robot further includes an umbrella fixed to the limiting mechanism, which separates from the cavity together with the limiting mechanism after the limiting mechanism is triggered. The umbrella is used to reduce the speed of the robot after airdropping so that it enters the water at a uniform speed.

[0021] As a further preferred embodiment, the umbrella is composed of one or more straps, one or more fixing straps, an umbrella canopy, etc. The one or more straps can achieve mutual fixation between the umbrella canopy and the limiting mechanism. The fixing strap is used to achieve relative fixation between the umbrella canopy and the cavity, and during actual installation, it can be sleeved on the rear end of the cavity. When the trigger mechanism (push rod) of the robot is plunged into the water and destroys the limiting mechanism, the limiting mechanism (connecting rod and hook) will fall off, and the two will fall off the umbrella under the action of gravity, completing the operation of entering the water and taking off the umbrella.

[0022] Preferably, a front fairing is provided at one end of the cavity, and the trigger mechanism is a push rod slidably mounted on the front fairing; the front fairing is provided with a clearance notch corresponding to one end of the push rod, and the other end of the push rod serves as the trigger end. In addition to the above structure, the trigger mechanism can be driven by a memory metal secured to the push rod. The memory metal is in an extended state at room temperature, but upon entering water, it contracts, causing the push rod to strike the stopper, destroying it. This method can also accomplish the corresponding wing expansion operation.

[0023] As a further preference, the front air deflector or cavity is provided with a slider, which is provided with a chute that cooperates with the push rod to enable the push rod to move linearly. As a further preference, the cavity (for example, on the bridge plate) or the inner wall of the chute is provided with a limit pin and a spring that cooperates therewith, and the push rod is provided with a limit cone hole that cooperates with the limit pin. After triggering, when the push rod moves into position, the limit pin on the cavity wall or the chute will enter the limit cone hole under the action of the spring, thereby limiting the position of the push rod. At the same time, a limit step can be provided at the corresponding position of the push rod to prevent the push rod from falling out of the chute or to limit the push rod's movement limit position.

[0024] Preferably, the limiting mechanism includes:

[0025] link;

[0026] A locking tongue is provided at one end of the connecting rod, and when the locking tongue cooperates with a locking notch provided on the cavity, the locking tongue can be fixed relative to the cavity;

[0027] A hook connected to the other end of the connecting rod, which, when engaged with the inclined groove provided on the folding wing, can restrict the folding wing to a folded state;

[0028] Limiting members for elastically limiting the lock tongue and hook in the locking notch and the inclined groove respectively;

[0029] After the trigger mechanism is successfully triggered, the lock tongue can be disengaged from the locking notch, so that the torsion mechanism can unfold the wings, and the hook and the connecting rod will also be in a free state.

[0030] The hook is designed to latch onto the folding wing's angular slot, restraining the folding wing. It forms a revolute pair with one end of the connecting rod using a thrust ball bearing. The connecting rod primarily serves as a connection, with one end forming a revolute pair with the hook and the other end containing a locking tongue (flattened) that engages the locking notch of the fixed slot, limiting the rotation of the torsion mechanism and keeping the wing in its folded state before entering the water.

[0031] Preferably, the cavity is provided with a fixing groove and a cover plate fixed to the top (or bottom) of the fixing groove, and the fixing groove is provided with a spring piece and the locking notch. The fixing groove and the cavity are an integrated structure, mainly to provide a restraining force when the wing is folded; in the locked state, the locking tongue is engaged in the locking notch; the spring piece is used to limit the lateral movement of the connecting rod to ensure that the connecting rod will not pop out from the locking notch of the fixing groove when it is not subjected to the impact of entering the water. The cover plate is mainly used to prevent the connecting rod from detaching from the top of the fixing groove. The large end of the push rod (i.e., the end that passes through the front fairing) faces outward. After being impacted by airdropping into water, the push rod slides backward and the small end (trigger end) of the push rod will hit the locking tongue of the connecting rod. When the impact force is sufficient to deform the spring piece, the connecting rod will move outward. After moving out of the locking notch of the fixing groove, the connecting rod will pop out and fall off under the action of the torsion mechanism, and the upper folding wing and the lower folding wing will change from a cross-folded state to a flat unfolded state.

[0032] Preferably, the folding wings include an upper folding wing and a lower folding wing; the folding wings of the preferred solution are an integrated structure. Furthermore, for some underwater robots with more size restrictions, multi-section folding wings can be used to reduce the space occupied when the wings are not extended.

[0033] Preferably, the torsion mechanism comprises:

[0034] a support column fixed to the cavity;

[0035] An upper turntable and a lower turntable are connected to the support column and fixed with the upper folding wing and the lower folding wing respectively;

[0036] A driving member that drives the upper turntable and the lower turntable to rotate relative to each other, thereby driving the folding wings to unfold.

[0037] Preferably, a corresponding installation cavity is provided between the bottom end of the upper turntable and the top end of the lower turntable; the driving member is a torsion spring arranged in the installation cavity. The side wall of the upper turntable is provided with a strip-shaped torsion spring movable hole, and the top end of the torsion spring is inserted into the torsion spring movable hole to realize the connection between the torsion spring and the upper turntable, and ensure that the torsion spring can move axially relative to a certain range (determined by the length of the torsion spring movable hole), but avoid the circumferential movement of this end of the torsion spring relative to the upper turntable. The bottom end of the torsion spring is connected to the lower turntable through a torsion spring fixing hole provided in the lower turntable. The support column passes through the middle of the upper turntable, the lower turntable and the torsion spring, limiting the planar movement of the three and serving as the rotation center of the three.

[0038] The upper turntable is used to unfold the upper folding wing, which is fixed to the upper folding wing fixed end of the upper turntable; the lower turntable is used to unfold the lower folding wing, which is fixed to the lower folding wing fixed end of the lower turntable.

[0039] Preferably, an inter-disc thrust bearing is designed between the upper turntable and the lower turntable to reduce the friction between the upper turntable and the lower turntable during wing expansion, so that the torsion spring can better rotate the upper turntable and the lower turntable. The inter-disc thrust bearing is fixed in the groove of the upper turntable or the lower turntable, and is an interference fit installation that is approximately an integrated design.

[0040] Preferably, a matching high groove end and low groove end are provided between the bottom end of the upper turntable and the top end of the lower turntable; when the folding wings are in the folded state, the high groove ends of the upper turntable and the lower turntable abut against each other, providing space for the folding wings to be folded; when the folding wings are in the unfolded state, the high groove end of the upper turntable and the low groove end of the lower turntable, as well as the low groove end of the upper turntable and the high groove end of the lower turntable, respectively, abut against each other, reducing the height difference between the folding wings in the unfolded state and ensuring that the two wings are in the same plane when unfolded. The high groove end is used to support the upper turntable when the two wings are in the cross-folded state, while the low groove end is used to support the upper turntable after the wings are unfolded, thereby enabling the folding wings to transition from the cross-folded state to the flat unfolded state.

[0041] Preferably, an upper turntable thrust bearing and a lower turntable thrust bearing are respectively provided between the upper turntable and the cavity, and between the lower turntable and the cavity. The upper turntable thrust bearing and the lower turntable thrust bearing are intended to reduce friction between the upper and lower turntables and the cavity when the wings are extended.

[0042] Preferably, a first limiting mechanism is provided between the bottom of the upper turntable and the top of the lower turntable to constrain the folding wings in the unfolded state after they are extended. Further preferably, the first limiting mechanism is an elastic limiting post provided at the top of the lower turntable; a limiting hole is provided at the bottom of the upper turntable to cooperate with the limiting post; the top of the limiting hole passes through the upper turntable and aligns with a reset hole provided on the cavity when the wings are extended.

[0043] The reset hole is used to break the locking mechanism of the torsion mechanism when retracting the unfolded wings.

[0044] After the torsion mechanism's limiting mechanism is destroyed, the torsion spring returns to its original state. One end of the torsion spring rotates the lower turntable outward through the torsion spring's fixed hole, while the other end rotates the upper turntable outward through the torsion spring's movable hole. When the upper and lower turntables rotate relative to each other to a certain position, the upper turntable's high groove end moves upward from the lower turntable's high groove end to the lower turntable's low groove end, reducing the axial distance between the two turntables. The limiting posts (left and right) are squeezed by the upper turntable, compressing the spring. At this point, the torsion spring also moves upward along the torsion spring's movable hole, contacting the upper end of the upper turntable. The two pairs of turntable ramps rotate to their corresponding original notches, contacting the cavity ramps at that position, axially limiting the torsion mechanism after the triggering rotation. When the wings are fully extended and flat, the limit posts (left and right) enter the limit holes of the upper turntable under the action of springs, circumferentially limiting the torsion mechanism and preventing the wings from rotating relative to each other due to the influence of water flow. At the same time, one side of each unfolded wing contacts the bottom of the cavity mounting recess, thus preventing relative rotation between the wings and the cavity. Below the limit posts, there is a hole with a slight interference fit for the spring, which is used to connect and fix it. The spring is glued to the hole in the lower turntable.

[0045] Preferably, a second limiting mechanism is provided between the upper turntable and the cavity to limit the upper turntable's circumferential rotation and axial movement. Preferably, the second limiting mechanism comprises corresponding annular ramp structures, namely the turntable ramp and the cavity ramp, respectively, disposed on the upper turntable and the cavity. The turntable ramp is provided so that when the folding wings are in a flat, unfolded state, they come into contact with the cavity ramp, thereby limiting the circumferential and axial movement of the torsion mechanism while maintaining the folding wings in the unfolded state. Two sets of turntable ramps and two sets of cavity ramps are provided.

[0046] The folding wings used on the airdrop underwater robot described in the present invention use a purely mechanical structure to complete the wing expansion and parachute removal operations by relying on the impact when entering the water. It does not need to rely on electrical components such as motors and electromagnets for driving. It has a simple structure, reliable operation, and low cost. The parachute removal operation is completed by the hook and connecting rod released by the destroyed limiting mechanism. It does not require other external additional devices to achieve it, thereby improving the utilization rate of the mechanism. The folding wings can be changed from a cross-folded state to a flat unfolded state. In the cross-folded state, it is completely retracted within the projection surface of the cavity without additionally increasing the overall size, allowing the underwater robot to be airdropped and deployed on a large scale using a standard airdrop bucket. In the flat unfolded state, the two wings are in the same plane, and there is no height difference between the two wings. This avoids the problem of different hydrodynamic forces when the robot performs different posture movements underwater due to the height difference between the two wings, thereby increasing the difficulty of control.

[0047] The advantages of this solution are as follows: First, compared to methods that rely on electrical components such as motors and electromagnets to drive wing expansion, this solution uses a purely mechanical structure to achieve both wing expansion and parachute drop. This results in a simple overall structure and low cost. Compared to water-soluble strapping, this solution offers advantages such as greater reliability and stability, and controllable wing expansion timing. Second, the folding wings can be transformed from a cross-folded state to a flat, flat, unfolded state. The two wings are aligned in the same plane, eliminating the difference in hydrodynamic coefficients caused by the height difference between the wings. This, in turn, avoids the problem of varying hydrodynamic coefficients when the robot moves underwater in different postures, which increases control difficulties. Furthermore, the parachute is attached to a hook, and the hook and connecting rod are ejected and discarded during wing expansion. This eliminates the need for external devices for parachute drop and drop, improving mechanical efficiency. Furthermore, when folded, the wings do not extend beyond the projected surface of the cavity, thus not increasing the robot's size. This allows for large-scale deployment using standard airdrop barrels, enhancing versatility and practicality. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0048] Figure 1 : Schematic diagram of the robot's exterior in the folded state;

[0049] Figure 2a and Figure 2b and Figure 2c : Schematic diagram of the non-sealed section outside the robot cavity in the folded state;

[0050] in Figure 2a A schematic diagram of a cross-sectional structure; Figure 2b This is a side view of the robot in the folded state; Figure 2c for Figure 2b Cross-section along CC direction;

[0051] Figure 3 : Schematic diagram of the folding wing in the folded state (other structures omitted);

[0052] Figure 4a to Figure 4d : Schematic diagram of the torsion mechanism in the folded state;

[0053] in, Figure 4a It is a structural schematic diagram of the torsion mechanism in the folded state; Figure 4b for Figure 4a Sectional view along plane AA; Figure 4c This is an exploded view of the torsion mechanism at one angle; Figure 4d This is an exploded view of the torsion mechanism from another angle; Figure 4e It is a partial enlarged view of the location of the annular slope;

[0054] Figure 5 : Schematic diagram of the robot in the unfolded state;

[0055] Figure 6 : Schematic diagram of the torsion mechanism in the unfolded state;

[0056] Figure 7 : Schematic diagram of an umbrella.

[0057] 1-Front air deflector 2-Trigger mechanism 3-Upper end cover 4-Upper folding wing 5-Lower folding wing 6-Right limiting mechanism 7-Left limiting mechanism 8-Front reset hole 9-Rear reset hole 10-Torsion mechanism 11-Cavity 12-Lower end cover 13-Umbrella 14-Telescopic column 15-Support column 101-Installation recess 102-Bridge plate 201-Push rod 202-Slider 203-Limiting cone hole 204-Limiting step 205-Limiting step 206-Channel 601-Cover plate 602-Connecting rod 603-Hook 604-Fixed slot 605-Spring clip 1001-Upper turntable 1002-Lower turntable 1003-Torsion spring movable hole 1004 -Turntable slope 1005 -Turntable notch 1006 -Upper folding wing fixing end 1007 -Torsion spring fixing hole 1008 -Lower folding wing fixing end 1009 -Lower turntable low groove end 1010 -Lower turntable high groove end 1009a -Upper turntable low groove end 1010a -Upper plate high groove end 1011 -Inter-disc thrust bearing 1012 -Torsion spring 1013 -Lower thrust bearing 1014 -Upper thrust bearing 1015 -Spring 1016 -Left limiting column 1017 -Spring 1018 -Right limiting column 1101 -Cavity slope 1301 -Umbrella right strap 1302 -Umbrella left strap 1303 -Umbrella fixing strap 1304 -Umbrella surface. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0058] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention discloses an airdrop-type underwater robot using a folding wing mechanism.

[0059] like Figure 1 As shown, the airdrop underwater robot consists of a front fairing 1, a trigger mechanism 2, an upper end cover 3, upper folding wings 4, lower folding wings 5, limit mechanisms (right limit mechanism 6, left limit mechanism 7), reset holes (front reset hole 8, rear reset hole 9), a torsion mechanism 10, a cavity 11, a lower end cover 12, an umbrella 13, a telescopic column 14, and a support column 15. The upper and lower end covers 3 and 12 are watertightly connected to the cavity 11 via O-rings and are secured to the cavity with bolts for sealing. These form the main body of the robot, which houses the center of gravity adjustment mechanism, control circuitry, and buoyancy adjustment mechanism.

[0060] The trigger mechanism 2 is used to use the impact when the robot is air-dropped into the water to destroy the limit mechanism and unfold the wings; the right limit mechanism 6 and the left limit mechanism 7 are used to limit the rotation of the torsion mechanism 10 before entering the water to prevent the folding wings from opening accidentally; the front reset hole 8 and the rear reset hole 9 are used to destroy the locking mechanism of the torsion mechanism when retracting the unfolded wings; the torsion mechanism 10 is used to change the upper folding wings 4 and the lower folding wings 5 ​​from a cross-folded state to a flat unfolded state after entering the water; the umbrella 13 is used to reduce the landing speed of the robot after airdropping so that it enters the water at a uniform speed; the telescopic column 14 changes the volume of the robot by extending and retracting, thereby changing the buoyancy of the robot to achieve floating and sinking, and a dynamic seal composed of a step seal and an O-ring is used between it and the cavity 11 to make it watertight; the support column 15 is used to limit the radial plane movement of the torsion mechanism and serve as the rotation center of the torsion mechanism. The support column passes through the center of the torsion mechanism and is fixed to the cavity by screws.

[0061] Furthermore, the cavity 11 has a mounting recess 101 near the upper end cover 3. A bridge plate 102, integral with the cavity, is positioned corresponding to the mounting recess 101. Bridge plate 102 can be integrated as part of the cavity and can be manufactured using a single-piece molding process. Bridge plate 102 and the inner wall of the mounting recess form an installation and accommodation area for the trigger mechanism, stop mechanism, torsion mechanism, folding wings, and the like.

[0062] The front air guide cover 1 is arranged at the front end of the cavity and is a smooth curved surface structure. A notch is left on the front air guide cover 1 to avoid the bottom end of the push rod 201.

[0063] like Figure 2a-2b As shown, the trigger mechanism 2 is composed of a push rod 201, a slider 202 and a limiting tapered hole 203. The limiting tapered hole 203 does not refer to a conical hole structure only, and limiting holes of other structures are also acceptable. The slider 202 is fixed to the bottom surface of the bridge plate 102 or can also be directly fixed to the cavity below the slider, or can also be fixed to the notch position of the air deflector. A guide groove is provided in the slider 202, and the push rod 201 is slidably set in the guide groove of the slider 202. At the same time, a limiting tapered hole 203 is provided on the bottom surface of the push rod 201, and a limiting pin and a spring that cooperates with it are provided on the bridge plate. A limiting step 205 corresponding to the end of the slider can also be provided on the outer wall of the push rod 201 near the trigger end to prevent the push rod from accidentally falling off, or a limiting step 204 that cooperates with the limiting mechanism can also be provided at this end to limit the movement limit of the other end of the push rod. Furthermore, the slider 202 is designed to ensure the linear movement of the push rod 201. The limiting structure (limiting step 204, limiting step 205, etc.) on the push rod 201 allows it to slide freely only within a certain range. When the push rod moves to the trigger position, the limiting pin on the cavity wall will enter the limiting conical hole 203 under the action of the spring, thereby realizing the positioning of the push rod relative to the cavity.

[0064] In this embodiment, the limiting mechanism consists of a right limiting mechanism 6 and a left limiting mechanism 7, both of which have identical structures. Both the right limiting mechanism 6 and the left limiting mechanism 7 consist of a cover plate 601, a connecting rod 602, a hook 603, a fixing slot 604, and a spring 605. The hook 603 is designed to hook onto the inclined slot 206 of the folding wings, keeping them in a folded state. It forms a revolving pair with one end of the connecting rod 602 using a thrust ball bearing. The hook 603 can be a U-shaped slot. In the folded state, the two folding wings are held together by the left and right U-shaped slots within the mounting recess 101 below the bridge plate 102. The connecting rod 602 primarily serves as a connection. One end forms a revolving pair with the hook 603, and a limiting torsion spring is located at this end. The other end contains a locking tongue (which can be oblate) that engages the notch in the fixing slot 604. The limiting torsion spring primarily restrains the locking tongue in a locked state before triggering, while the hook is in a working state that keeps the folding wings in the folded state.

[0065] Before entering the water, the left and right limit mechanisms are locked, and the spring clip 605 confines the locking tongue to the locking notch of the fixing slot 604. The two hooks 603 confine the two folding wings to the mounting recess 101, while also limiting the rotation of the torsion mechanism to keep the wings in the folded state. The fixing slot 604 and the cavity 11 are integrally formed, or a separate fixing slot 604 can be fixed to the cavity 11. The fixing slot 604 mainly provides a restraining force when the wings are folded. The spring clip 605 limits the lateral movement of the connecting rod 602, ensuring that the connecting rod 602 does not pop out of the locking notch of the fixing slot 604 unless it is subjected to the impact of entering the water. The spring clip 605 is fixed to the fixing slot 604 by screws. The cover plate 601 mainly prevents the connecting rod 602 from detaching from the top of the fixing slot 604. The cover plate 601 is fixed to the fixing slot 604 by screws.

[0066] During the airdrop process, the center of gravity adjustment structure inside the cavity moves the weight to the front end, so that the end where the front fairing 1 is located is set downward, and the push rod 201 slides down to the lowest end under the action of gravity. After entering the water, the large end (bottom end) of the push rod 201 faces outward. After being impacted by the airdrop into the water, the push rod 201 slides backward (upward) until the small end (top end, trigger end) of the push rod hits the locking tongue of the connecting rod 602. When the impact force is sufficient to deform the shrapnel 605, the locking tongue of the connecting rod begins to disengage from the notch of the fixing groove 604, and the connecting rod 602 is in a free state. Under the action of the limiting torsion spring, the connecting rod 602 disengages from the fixing groove 604. After moving out of the notch of the fixing groove 604, the connecting rod 602 will pop out and fall off under the action of the torsion mechanism 10, and the upper folding wing 4 and the lower folding wing 5 will change from the cross-folded state to the planar unfolded state.

[0067] like Figure 3 、 Figure 4a to Figure 4eAs shown, the torsion mechanism 10 mainly consists of an upper turntable 1001, a lower turntable 1002, a torsion spring 1012, a lower thrust bearing 1013, an upper thrust bearing 1014, etc. The upper turntable 1001 is used to unfold the upper folding wing. The upper folding wing 4 is fixed to the upper folding wing fixed end 1006 of the upper turntable 1001 (which can be fixed by bolts). The torsion spring 1012 is set in a mounting cavity 1019 set at the bottom end of the upper turntable 1001 and the top end of the lower turntable 1002. The upper turntable 1001 is connected to the top end of the torsion spring 1012 through the torsion spring movable hole 1003. The movable hole 1003 has a certain length in the axial direction of the upper turntable 1001 to meet the axial movement of the torsion spring 1012, but at the same time limit the relative movement of the top end of the torsion spring 1012 in the circumferential direction. In other words, the movable hole 1003 needs to ensure that the top end of the torsion spring 1012 rotates synchronously with the upper turntable 1001. The top surface of the upper turntable 1001 is also designed with a turntable slope 1004, and the cavity bridge plate 102 is provided with a cavity slope 1101 that cooperates with the turntable slope 1004. The turntable slope 1004 and the cavity slope 1101 are provided so that when the folding wings are transformed into a flat and unfolded state, the turntable slope 1004 and the cavity slope 1101 come into contact and abut each other, thereby limiting the circumferential motion limit and axial displacement of the torsion mechanism. The notch 1005 is designed so that it does not interfere with the cavity slope 1101 on the cavity in the folded state. The other side of the device is also designed with a turntable slope 1004 and a cavity slope 1101. After the torsion is triggered, the two sets of turntable slopes respectively contact the corresponding cavity slopes to limit the circumferential motion limit and axial displacement of the torsion device. The lower turntable 1002 is used to deploy the lower folding wings. The lower folding wings 5 ​​are fixed to the lower folding wing fixing end 1008 of the lower turntable 1002 (which can be fixed by bolts). A torsion spring 1012 is connected to the lower turntable 1002 through the torsion spring fixing hole 1007 at the middle bottom end of the lower turntable 1002. An inter-disc thrust bearing 1011 is also designed at the bottom end of the upper turntable 1001 to reduce friction between the bottom end of the upper turntable 1001 and the top end of the lower turntable 1002 during the wing deployment process, allowing the torsion spring 1012 to better rotate the upper and lower turntables 1001, 1002. The inter-disc thrust bearing 1011 is fixed to the upper turntable 1001.The lower turntable 1002 is respectively provided with a low groove end 1009 and a high groove end 1010, and the bottom end of the upper turntable 1001 is correspondingly provided with a low groove end 1009a and a high groove end 1010a, and the inter-disc thrust bearings 1011 are respectively arranged on the end faces of the low groove end 1009a and the high groove end 1010a; the high groove end 1010 is used to support the upper turntable 1001 when the two wings are in a cross-folded state. At this time, the high groove ends 1010 of the two wings are against the high groove ends 1010a to achieve support, and the low groove end 1009 is used to support the upper turntable 1001 after the wings are unfolded. At this time, the high groove ends 1010a and the high groove ends 1010 of the two wings are respectively against the corresponding low groove ends 1009 and low groove ends 1009a to achieve support, so that the two folding wings can be transformed from the upper and lower cross-folded state to the planar unfolded state located in the same plane. The upper and lower turntable thrust bearings 1014 and 1013 are designed to reduce friction between the upper and lower turntables and the cavity during wing deployment. After the limiting mechanism of the torsion mechanism 10 is damaged, the torsion spring 1012 returns to its original position under the action of its elastic force. One end of the torsion spring passes through the torsion spring fixing hole 1007, driving the lower turntable 1002 to rotate outward, while the other end passes through the torsion spring movable hole 1003, driving the upper turntable 1001 to rotate outward. When the upper and lower turntables 1001 and 1002 rotate relative to each other to a certain position, the high groove end 1010a of the upper turntable 1001 moves from the high groove end 1010 of the lower turntable to the low groove end 1009, reducing the axial distance between the upper and lower turntables 1001 and 1002. The left and right limiting posts 1016 and 1018 on the lower turntable 1002 are squeezed by the upper turntable, compressing the springs 1015 and 1017. At this point, the torsion spring 1012 will also move upward along the torsion spring movable hole 1003 to contact the upper end of the upper turntable 1001. The two pairs of turntable slopes 1004 will respectively rotate to the corresponding original notches 1005 and contact the cavity slopes 1101 at this position, axially limiting the torsion mechanism after the rotation is triggered. When the two wings are fully unfolded into a flat state, the left and right limiting posts 1016 and 1018 will enter the limiting holes A of the upper turntable 1001 under the action of springs 1015 and 1017, circumferentially limiting the torsion mechanism to prevent the two wings from rotating relative to each other due to the influence of water flow. After unfolding, the two wings will contact the bottom of the mounting recess 101 to limit the rotation of the two wings relative to the cavity. A hole with a slight interference fit with the spring is opened below the limiting post for connecting and fixing with the spring. The spring is glued to the hole in the lower turntable. At the same time, the two limit holes A axially cross the entire upper turntable, and when the folding wings are unfolded, they are aligned with the front reset hole 8 and the rear reset hole 9 respectively. External force can be used to reset the left limit column 1016 and the right limit column 1018, so as to refold the two folding wings.

[0068] The support column 15 passes through the middle of the upper turntable 1001, the lower turntable 1002 and the torsion spring 1012, limiting the plane movement of the three and serving as the rotation center of the three. The top of the support column 15 is fixed to the bridge plate 102 on the cavity to provide support force.

[0069] Umbrella 13 consists of a right strap 1301, a left strap 1302, a fixing strap 1303, and an umbrella canopy 1304. Right strap 1301 is attached to a hook in the right limiter 6, left strap 1302 is attached to a hook in the left limiter 7, and fixing strap 1303 is placed over the rear end of cavity 11. When the robot is plunged into the water, the push rod 201 destroys the limiter, causing the connecting rod 602 and hook 603 to fall off. Gravity pulls the umbrella 13 down, completing the underwater drop operation.

[0070] The airdrop underwater robot described in the present invention operates as follows: the center of gravity adjustment mechanism within the cavity 11 initially shifts the center of gravity to the front end of the robot, so that after airdrop, the front fairing 1 faces downward to meet the impact of entering the water under the influence of torque. The limiting post is pressed back into the limiting conical hole 203, and the push rod 201 is moved forward to reset the trigger mechanism. The left limiting post 1016 and the right limiting post 1018 are simultaneously pressed through the front reset hole 7 and the rear reset hole 8. After rotating the upper folding wing 4 and the lower folding wing 5 to a specific position, the upper folding wing 4 is lifted and then continued to rotate until the two wings are in a cross-folded state. The hooks of the left and right limiting mechanisms are then respectively engaged with the oblique openings of the upper folding wing 4 and the lower folding wing 5, and the connecting rod is engaged with the notch of the fixing slot 604, thereby completing the folding and recovery of the two wings. The right and left straps 1301 and 1302 are respectively fastened to the hooks of the left and right limiting mechanisms, the fixing strap 1303 is sleeved on the rear end of the cavity, and the umbrella cover 1304 is placed in an umbrella bag with a heavy object. After completing the above operations, the robot can be placed in the airdrop bucket. When the robot is released through airdrop, the heavy object falls and the umbrella bag falls off together. The umbrella opens under the influence of the wind, slowing down the robot and allowing it to enter the water smoothly. Because the center of gravity is at the front, the robot's front fairing is first impacted by the water facing downward. After entering the water, the trigger mechanism 2 moves backward (upward) due to the impact of the water. The small end of the push rod 201 will hit the middle of the right limiting mechanism 6 and the left limiting mechanism 7, causing the springs 605 on both sides to be compressed. Under the drive of the torsion mechanism 10, the connecting rod 602 moves outward and disengages from the fixing slot 604. When push rod 201 contacts the rear side of fixed slot 604, the limiting post on the bridge plate, under the action of the spring, enters the limiting hole, preventing the trigger mechanism from moving further after completing the triggering task. When the left and right limiting mechanisms are damaged, the upper turntable 1001 and the lower turntable 1003 will rotate under the action of torsion spring 1012. When they rotate to a certain position, the upper turntable high groove section 1010a will rotate from the high groove end 1010 of the lower turntable to the low groove end 1009, causing the torsion mechanism to become shorter as a whole. In turn, the springs 1015 and 1017 are squeezed and compressed by the right limiting post 1016 and the left limiting post 1018. When fully rotated into place, the right limiting post 1016 and the left limiting post 1018 will enter the limiting hole of the upper turntable under the action of springs 1015 and 1017, preventing the torsion mechanism from rotating further and also restricting the relative rotation between the two wings. At the same time, the turntable slope 1004 contacts the cavity slope 1101 to axially limit the height of the torsion mechanism, so that the two wings are in the same plane after unfolding. The unfolded two wings contact the bottom of the mounting concave area 101, thereby limiting the rotation between the two wings and the cavity.After the robot enters the water, the water entry electrode turns on the power of the robot to achieve power-up. After power-on, the center of gravity adjustment mechanism moves the center of gravity backward, and the hooks and connecting rods hooked on the upper and lower folding wings will fall off under the action of gravity. When the hooks and connecting rods fall off, they will pull the left and right straps tied to the hooks and then take off the umbrella on the cavity. At this point, the airdrop underwater robot completes the overall airdrop deployment operation, and the robot can then operate normally.

[0071] The folding wings used on airdrop underwater robots described in the present invention are characterized by using a purely mechanical structure to complete the wing spreading and parachute removal operations by relying on the impact when entering the water, without relying on electrical components such as motors and electromagnets for driving, and have a simple structure, reliable operation, and low cost; the parachute removal operation is completed by relying on the hooks and connecting rods released by the destroyed limiting mechanism, without the need for other external additional devices, thereby improving the utilization rate of the mechanism; the folding wings can be changed from a cross-folded state to a flat unfolded state. In the cross-folded state, they are completely retracted within the projection surface of the cavity without additionally increasing the overall size, allowing the underwater robot to be airdropped and deployed on a large scale using a standard airdrop bucket. In the flat unfolded state, the two wings are in the same plane, and there is no height difference between the two wings, avoiding the problem of different hydrodynamic forces when the robot performs different posture movements underwater due to the height difference between the two wings, thereby increasing the difficulty of control.

Claims

1. An airdrop underwater robot using a folding wing mechanism, comprising a cavity and folding wings connected to the cavity, characterized in that: Also includes: A torsion mechanism installed on the cavity is transmission-mounted with the folding wings to provide a driving force for unfolding the folding wings; A limit mechanism detachably fixed to the cavity and having a trigger function, which is used to limit the folding wings to a folded state when not triggered; A trigger mechanism slidably disposed on the cavity, which, when subjected to an external force, can trigger the limiting mechanism to release the folding wings; It also includes an umbrella fixed to the limiting mechanism, and the umbrella is separated from the cavity together with the limiting mechanism after the limiting mechanism is triggered; A front air deflector is provided at one end of the cavity, and the trigger mechanism is a push rod slidably arranged on the front air deflector; a relief notch corresponding to one end of the push rod is provided on the front air deflector, and the other end of the push rod is a trigger end; A limit pin and a matching spring are provided on the inner wall of the cavity, and a limit cone hole is provided on the push rod to match the limit pin; after being triggered, when the push rod moves into position, the limit pin will enter the limit cone hole under the action of the spring, thereby limiting the position of the push rod; The limiting mechanism includes: link; A locking tongue is provided at one end of the connecting rod, and when the locking tongue cooperates with a locking notch provided on the cavity, the locking tongue can be fixed relative to the cavity; A hook connected to the other end of the connecting rod, which, when engaged with the inclined groove provided on the folding wing, can restrict the folding wing to a folded state; Limiting members for elastically limiting the lock tongue and hook in the locking notch and the inclined groove respectively; After the trigger mechanism is successfully triggered, the lock tongue can be disengaged from the locking notch, thereby allowing the hook to disengage from the folding wing.

2. The airdrop underwater robot using a folding wing mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The folding wings include an upper folding wing and a lower folding wing; The torsion mechanism comprises: a support column fixed to the cavity; An upper turntable and a lower turntable are connected to the support column and fixed with the upper folding wing and the lower folding wing respectively; A driving member that drives the upper turntable and the lower turntable to rotate relative to each other, thereby driving the folding wings to unfold.

3. The airdrop underwater robot using a folding wing mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: A corresponding installation cavity is provided between the bottom end of the upper turntable and the top end of the lower turntable; and the driving member is a torsion spring provided in the installation cavity.

4. The airdrop underwater robot using a folding wing mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: A matching high groove end and a low groove end are provided between the bottom end of the upper turntable and the top end of the lower turntable; When the folding wings are in the folded state, the high groove ends of the upper turntable and the lower turntable abut against each other, providing space for the folding wings to be folded; When the folding wings are in the unfolded state, the high groove end of the upper turntable and the low groove end of the lower turntable, as well as the low groove end of the upper turntable and the high groove end of the lower turntable respectively offset each other, realizing the transition of the folding wings from the cross-folded state to the plane unfolded state.

5. The airdrop underwater robot using a folding wing mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: A first limiting mechanism is provided between the bottom end of the upper turntable and the top end of the lower turntable to limit the folding wings to the unfolded state; a second limiting mechanism is provided between the upper turntable and the cavity to limit the circumferential rotation limit of the upper turntable and the axial movement after unfolding.

6. The airdrop underwater robot using a folding wing mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first limiting mechanism is an elastic limiting column arranged at the top of the lower turntable; the bottom of the upper turntable is provided with a limiting hole that cooperates with the limiting column; the top of the limiting hole passes through the upper turntable and is aligned with the reset hole set on the cavity after the wing is unfolded.

7. The airdrop-type underwater robot using a folding wing mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The portion of the cavity close to the upper end cover is provided with an installation recessed area, and a bridge plate integrally provided with the cavity is provided at a position corresponding to the installation recessed area. The torsion mechanism, folding wings and limiting mechanism are all provided in the installation recessed area.

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